By Ben Efe

For almost a decade, the Athletics Federation of Nigeria, AFN had no head coach and this presented the hierarchy of the AFN with a bit of a headache as they hoped for a new beginning with a series of developmental programmes that will relaunch athletics in Nigeria.

File Photo: Nigeria’s Ajoke Odumosu (R) hands the baton to Regina George as they compete in the women’s 4X400 relay final of the London 2012 Olympic Games in London. PHOTO – AFP.

It was gathered during the week that once the sporting federations elections billed for April were settled, the AFN will start the process of employing a new head coach. Coach Armelia Edet was the last coach to occupy that position and she retired in 2006 but since then there has been no co-coordination for coaches and training programes of the AFN.

“We are not just looking to appoint anybody as head coach. There are so many things involved,” said AFN technical director, Omatseye Nesiama

“We are searching for a head coach who will earn the respect of all other coaches. Also we must put in place all the necessary tools he needs to work with.”

Navy Commodore Nesiama added that the federation was not looking for a quick fix solution, just like that of 2012 where Innocent Egbunike was drafted a few months to the Olympics in London. “We need a coach who will be around much of the time and not come around only when there is competition. We need him to be around him to start a developmental programme.

“There will be a selection process by the technical committee and when we are through, we will make our recomm-endations to the board of the AFN and this will be after the elections, because we might just have a new board that may not be disposed to having the coach that was employed.”

Former president of the AFN, Tony Urhobo listed the benefit of having a head coach.